Sri Lanka is fielding a team of 37 for the 2nd edition of the Asian Youth Games, which will be held from August 16 to 24 in Nanjing, China.
The Sri Lanka contingent, which left for China early last morning, will compete in eight disciplines, at this quadrennial multi-sports event.
Swimming, athletics, rugby, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis and weightlifting are the sports where Sri Lanka will take part.
With track and field events being the country’s only medal winning disciplines at the last edition, much will be expected from them.
Incidentally, the track and field team consists of at least four youngsters who have personal best performances, exceeding the medal winning standard at the last edition.
Kathaluwa Central athlete Nirmali Madushika (girls’ 400m), Ananda College sprinter Arosh Kariyawasam (boys’ 100m), Kuliyapitiya Central runner Dilhani Fernando (girls’ 800 and 1500m) and long jumper, Kumuduli Wijesiriwardena of Maliyadeva Balika, have all produced personal best performances, which are above the medal winning standards at the last edition, held in Singapore.
The country won three medals, a silver and two bronzes, at the first edition of the Asian Youth Games and all of them were in track and field events.
The 37 member contingent also includes two swimmers, 12 rugby players, two squash players, three shooters, four table tennis players, two tennis players and two weightlifters.
The Sri Lanka team is captained by Royal College, Colombo, tennis player Sharmal Dissanayake.
Meanwhile, 15 officials are accompanying the team with Olivia Gamage as the chef de mission.
Team:
Aquatics: Machiko Raheem and Matthew Abeysinghe (Asian International School)
Athletics: Chanchala Dissanayake (Girls’ High School, Kandy), Kumuduli Wijesiriwardane (Maliyadeva Balika, Kurunegala), Nirmali Madushika (Kathaluwa MV), Nishanthi Dilhani Fernando (Kuliyapitiya Central), Akila Ravisanka (Seevali Central, Ratnapura), Vidushanka Randunuge (St. Mary’s College, Kegalle), Arosh Kariyawasam (Ananda, Colombo), Isuru Wijerathna (St. Sylvester’s, Kandy), Bandara Nawarathna (Gateway, Colombo) and Lakshitha Fernando (Jennings International School, Negombo)
Rugby: Shamilka Kurumbalapitya (St. Joseph’s), Saranga Gunathilake (Trinity), Rayan Weerakoon (Trinity), Kevin Dixon (St. Peter’s), Indunil Shiromal Silva (Isipatana), Lasidu Ishan (Science College), Mohamed Taariq Salih (St. Joseph’s), Ramesh Rukmal (Royal, Panadura), Tuan Shamri Burah (St. Peter’s), Omalka Purna Gunaratne (Isipatana), Nimesh Fernando (St. Joseph’s) and Madhushanka Weerasekara (Dharmaraja)
Squash: Mihiliya Methsarani (Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Colombo 7), Hashintha Laksiri (D. S. Senanayake, Colombo)
Shooting: Praneetta Vasudevan and Koen Omar Odayar (Stafford International School) and Kaushan Samaranayake (St. Nickolas’ International School)
Table Tennis: Sankalpana Kannangara (Musaeus), Tharakie de Silva (Dharmashoka, Ambalangoda), Udaya Ranasingha and Vimukthi Wijesiri (Vidyartha, Kandy)
Tennis: Nethmi Waduge (Visakha) and Sharmal Dissanayake (Royal)
Weightlifting: Dinuda Abeysekara and Upeka Senadeera, Royal College, Polonnaruwa.
(Pic by Siripala Halwala)
